Construction unit



Aug. 2.3, 1932. JONES 1,873,417

CONSTRUCTION UNIT Fi1ed Nov. 9, 1928 /L E 1 I I I I Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR E. JONES, TONAWNDA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY WEIS MANU- FACIUBING COMIANY, INC., A CORPORATION OIE INDINA CONSTRUCTION UNIT Application flled November 9, 1928. Serial No. 318,141.

This invention relates to fabricated sheet metal construction units, and aims to provide a partition or panel construction in which the elements thereof may be easily and readily assembled and the resulting units Will be rigid and will have a neat .ppearance.

The nature of the invention may be readily understood by reference to one illustrative construction embodying the invention and shoWn in the accompanying drawing.

In said drawing:

. Fig. 1 is an elevation of a construction unit, a portion of which has been broken away to reveal details on the interior of the unit.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the unit (on an enlarged scale relative to that of F1g. l) taken on a plane perpendicular to the face of the unit and parallel to one of its edges.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view (also enlarged as compared to the scale of Fig. 1) of a corner of the unit with the edge strip removed.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of a pair of adjoining edge strips, separated slightly so as to show the mitered ends.

Fig. 5 is a development or pattern of the corner of one of the panel sheets as it is out or blanked out and before the metal has been bent into the form shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is aperspective view of a door made from one of the illustrative units.

The illustrative unit comprises a pair of marginally fianged panels 10 and 11, advantageously made of sheet metal, connected together at their edges by connecting means which provide a r1gid, doublewalled unit. In the present case the marginal flanges 12 of the panels are provided with means in the form of inwardly turned extremities 13 which cooperate with the connecting elements 14 to h old the sheet metal panels in assembled relat1on.

, The connecting element 14 is in this instance in the form of an edge strip whose head 15 lies over the joint between the panels and whose shank 16 extends between the marginal fianges 12 and is provided with means, in the form of books 17 having inclined cam faces 1.8, for engagin g the fiange extremities 13. In the present case the head 15 of the connecting element is arched and made resilient so as to be capable of drawing the hooks 17 tightly against the flange extremities 13, thereby holding the panels together under a resilient tension and removing all looseness and play between the various elements of the unit. T0 secure this result,.the parts must be proportioned so that the arched head is slightly fiatt'ened when applied to set up the necessary tension. In this instance the inclined surfaces 18 on the hooks 17 exert a cam action on the extremities 13 by means of which the panels are drawn tightly together and thus held under the resilient pressure provided by the arched head 15.'

The connecting element may advantageOusly be made of sheet metal folded into the form indicated in Fig. 2. The ends of the connecting element are beveled (in this case at angles of so as to form mitered joints at the corners of the unit.

The flanges on panels 10 and 11 are advantageously made integral therewith by formin g the panels of sheet metal which is blanked out in fiat condition and later bent at the margins to provide the flanges 12 and their e2itremities 13. Fig. 5 shows a development or pattern of a portion of a panel blank showing the outline of the blank at the corner of the panel and (in dot and dash lines) the limes along which the metal is bent to form the marginal fianges 12 and their extremities 13. The cut-away portions at the corner of the blank provide the open spaces 19 at each corner of the unit desirable for the insertion or application of the edge or connecting strip. In assembling a unit, a pair of panels is arranged as indicated in Fig. 3 and marginal strip it is desirable either to cut away or slot' an adjacent edge strip to provide a space for inserting the fourth strip. This is most conedge strip may. be out away orsevered at the point of application of the hinge fittings, therebyagain providing means for inserting the fourth or last ,edge strip. Where the unit is used as a partition member, the side edges of the unit.are usually inserted in recesses in a post or the .like which would serve to conceal a cut-away portion of an edge strip.

Even if all four edges of.the panel were exposed, it would be.possible to cut away a bottom edge strip because that wguld not be visible.- It is apparent from the foregoing that all visible portions of the unit Will present a smooth surface and that the edge strips will abut in.a neatly mitered joint. This joint.is advantageously ,welded, thereby renioving all possibility of such slight relative movement between, the.edge strips as might breakenamel or paint at the mitered corner of the edge strips.

In the present case the unit is advantageously provided with a self-supporting filler in the form of a plurality of thick fiber sheets 22 which are cemented together and cemented on buter faces 23 to the panels, Thus the ,unit is given a solid or substantial quality not possessed by a unit with. a hollow or empty interior. The fiber sheets 23 may advantageouslybe faced corrugated board of commorr construction;

. Obviously the invention is not limited to the details of the illustrative construction since these may be variously 'modified. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all featurcs of the invention be used conjointly since various features may be employed in difierent combinations and sub-combinations.

Having described one embodiment of my invention, I daim:

1. ,A ,fabricated. building unit comprising in combination a pair of marginally flanged panels arranged with said flanges in register, the extremities of said flangeS being formed to project inwardly into the space between said panels, and a metal j oining strip having a shank extending between and engaging said flange extremities and a head engaging said registering flanges and cooperating with the shank thereof to hold said panels together.

2. A fabricated building unit compfising in combination a pair of marginally fianged panels arranged with said flanges in magister,

the extremities of said flanges being formed to project inwardly into the space between said panels, and a metal j oining strip having a shahk extending between said flange extremities and provided with hook means for hooking around said extremities, said strip having a head engaging said registering flanges and cooperating with said hook means to hold said panels together.

3. A fabricated building unit compsing in combination a pair of marginall flanged panels arranged with said flanges in register, the extremities of said fianges being formed to project inwardly into the space between said panels, and a metal joining strip having a shank extending between said flange extremities and provided with hook means 'for hooking around said extremities, said strip having a resilient, arched head covering the joint between and resiliently' pressing against said flanges to cause said hook means to draw said fiange extremities together and thereby t0 j oin said panels together and to remove any looseness between said panels.

,4. A fabricated building unit comprising in combination a pair of marginally fianged panels arranged with saidflanges in register, the extremities of said flanges being formed to project inwardly into the space between said panels, and a metal strip having a resilient head engaging the respective registering flanges and having means for engaging said fiange extremities, said head being distorted upon application thereof to the panels whereby to exert a resilient pressure for holding said panels tightly together.

5. A fabricated building unit comprising in combination a pair of marginally flanged panels arranged with said flanges in register, the extreinities of said flanges being formed to project inwardly into the space between said panels, and a resilient metal strip having means for engaging said flange. extremities, said strip being distorted upon application thereof to said Panels whereby to draw said panels together with a resilient pressure.

6. A .fabricated building unit comprising in combination a pair of marginally fla1iged panelsarranged with said flanges in register, the eXtremities of said fianges being formed to project inwardly into the space between said panels, a metal j oining strip having a shank extending between said flange extremitics and provided with hook means for hooking around said extremities, said strip having a resilient. arChed-head covering,the joint between and resiliently pressing against said flanges to cause said hook means to draw said 7. A fabricated building unit comprising in combination a pair of panels having their margins in register and provided with connecting flanges, a joining strip having a head covering the joint between the panels and having a shank engaging said connecting flanges to hold the same together, said flanges being beveled at their ends -so as to wedge between the head and shank of said joining strip, whereby the panels are connected firmly and play between them is eliminated.

8. A fabricate'd metal partition construction comprising in combination a pair of sheet metal panels arranged with their margins in register, and joining means including a metal strip covering the joint between said margins and cooperating to secure said panels together, said strip being distorted in its application to said panels t0 exert resilient pressure in planes parallel to said panels to remove relative movement between the panels and between the panels and said strip.

9. A fabricated. metal partition construction comprising in combination a pair of marginally flanged sheet metal panels arranged with their flanges in register, and joining means including a metal strip located at the joint between said flanges, said strip being distorted in application to said panels and constructed and a.rranged to exert a res'ilient presure in planes parallel to said panels to prevent relative longitudinal shifting thereof.

10. A. fabricated metal partition construc t1on comprising in combination a pair of parallel, marginally flanged sheet metal panels arranged with their flanges in register; and joining means including a metal strip on the exterior of said panels and covering the joint between said flanges and a portion extending into the interior"of said panels and connected with said flanges on the interior of said panels to secure said panels together.

11. A. fabricated metal partition construction comprising in combination a pair cf parallel, marginally flanged sheet metal panels arranged with their flanges in register; j oining means including a metal strip covering the joint between said flanges and cooperating t0 secure said panels together, said strip having a portion extending between said flanges into the interior of said panels and connected therewith in said interior.

12. A fabricated building unit comprising in combination a pair of parallel, marginally flanged panels arranged with said flanges in register; the extremities of said flanges being formed to project inwardly into the space betwen said panels; and a joining strip covering the joint between said panels and engaging said extremities in the interior of said panels and cooperating to hold said panels tog'ether.

13. A fabricated building unit comprising in combination a pair of parallel, marginally fianged panels arranged with said flanges in register; the extremities of said flanges being formed to project inwardly into the space beformed from a strip of sheet metal havin the side margi11s doubled under the central portion to form an arched head, the extremi ties of said side portion being bent at an angle to the head and brought together to form a shank and the edges thereof being bent over to form hooks.

15. A fabricated metal building unit comprising in combination a pair of opposite, parallel, marginally fianged sheet metal panels having their flanges bent substantially at right angles to the panel and arranged in register with those of the opposite panel; joining means includin an exterior metal strip covering the joint etween said flanges and cooperating t0 secure said panels together, said flanges engaging and abutting said strip to hold said panels spaced apart.

16. A fabricated building unit comprising in combination a pair of opposite, parallel, marginally fianged panels having said flanges formed substantially at right angles to the panels and arranged in registry with those of the opposite panel; the extremities of said flanges being formed t0 project inwardly into the space between said panels; and a j oining strip fitting over said extremities and cooperating therewith to hold said panels together.

17. A. fabricated building unit comprising in combination a pair of opposite, parallel, marginally fianged sheet metal panels having said flanges bent substantially at right angles to the panels and arranged in register with those of the opposite panel; said flanges having their extremities bent to project inwardly into the space betweensaid panels; and an elongated metal j oining strip bent to have its edges brought into opposite relationship and being wedged over said extremities to hold said panels tightly together.

18. A double walled panel structure of the character described comprising in combination a pair of opposite, para llel, marginally fianged imperforate metal panel 'sheets arranged with their flanges in register and having a fixed relation to each other; said panel sheets providing double walls through ont said panel structure, joining means con,- necting said flanges and including a metal strip straddling the joint between said flanges, the metal of said strip being distwee'n said panel sheets t eliminate the drum efi'ect of the metal panel sheets.

19. An elongated sheet metal joining strip for c0nnecting together panels to form a construction unit comprising in'combinafion a curved resilient head adapted to be slightly flattened upon application of the strip, and a shank adapted to pass between the panels and to extend beyond the opposite faces of 13 said panels, and panel engaging means at theext1emity of said shank adapted to extend beyond said opposite faces of said panels and to engage said panels to hold the V latter together. 15 In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ARTHR E. J ONES.. 

